Madison, WI WG Pay Scale 2026 (Wage Area 147)
In the Madison, Wisconsin wage area, a WG-10 earns $29.25 at step 1, $30.44 at step 2 and $34.08 at step 5 under schedule 147 (Rest of United States), effective October 5, 2025. Step 2 is about $63,528 a year at 2,087 hours, an estimate.
Below are the WG, WL and WS hourly rates for every grade and step and the counties covered. See WG pay scale 2026 for every wage area.
Maintained by Archie Chang · DCPAS schedules checked October 31, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Madison, WI WG, WL and WS rates, schedule 147
Issued December 23, 2025, effective October 5, 2025, superseding the schedule issued January 2, 2025. GS locality: Rest of United States (RUS). For General Schedule pay in the same locality, see Rest of U.S. GS pay scale 2026.
WG: nonsupervisory grades 1 to 15
| WG (nonsupervisory) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WG-1 | $16.88$35,229 | $17.58$36,689 | $18.26$38,109 | $18.99$39,632 | $19.66$41,030 |
| WG-2 | $18.43$38,463 | $19.21$40,091 | $19.97$41,677 | $20.73$43,264 | $21.51$44,891 |
| WG-3 | $19.98$41,698 | $20.82$43,451 | $21.68$45,246 | $22.50$46,958 | $23.34$48,711 |
| WG-4 | $21.59$45,058 | $22.49$46,937 | $23.38$48,794 | $24.29$50,693 | $25.17$52,530 |
| WG-5 | $23.19$48,398 | $24.16$50,422 | $25.10$52,384 | $26.06$54,387 | $27.08$56,516 |
| WG-6 | $24.82$51,799 | $25.82$53,886 | $26.86$56,057 | $27.89$58,206 | $28.92$60,356 |
| WG-7 | $26.01$54,283 | $27.10$56,558 | $28.15$58,749 | $29.23$61,003 | $30.34$63,320 |
| WG-8 | $27.22$56,808 | $28.37$59,208 | $29.53$61,629 | $30.62$63,904 | $31.77$66,304 |
| WG-9 | $28.38$59,229 | $29.53$61,629 | $30.76$64,196 | $31.90$66,575 | $33.11$69,101 |
| WG-10 | $29.25$61,045 | $30.44$63,528 | $31.69$66,137 | $32.92$68,704 | $34.08$71,125 |
| WG-11 | $30.14$62,902 | $31.34$65,407 | $32.63$68,099 | $33.99$70,937 | $35.16$73,379 |
| WG-12 | $31.03$64,760 | $32.30$67,410 | $33.64$70,207 | $34.95$72,941 | $36.28$75,716 |
| WG-13 | $31.87$66,513 | $33.28$69,455 | $34.53$72,064 | $35.92$74,965 | $37.22$77,678 |
| WG-14 | $32.80$68,454 | $34.13$71,229 | $35.54$74,172 | $36.94$77,094 | $38.21$79,744 |
| WG-15 | $33.73$70,395 | $35.14$73,337 | $36.50$76,176 | $37.94$79,181 | $39.32$82,061 |
WL: leader grades 1 to 15
| WL (leader) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WL-1 | $18.57$38,756 | $19.35$40,383 | $20.11$41,970 | $20.87$43,556 | $21.66$45,204 |
| WL-2 | $20.30$42,366 | $21.10$44,036 | $21.95$45,810 | $22.81$47,604 | $23.63$49,316 |
| WL-3 | $21.97$45,851 | $22.91$47,813 | $23.83$49,733 | $24.73$51,612 | $25.66$53,552 |
| WL-4 | $23.77$49,608 | $24.77$51,695 | $25.71$53,657 | $26.70$55,723 | $27.70$57,810 |
| WL-5 | $25.51$53,239 | $26.58$55,472 | $27.58$57,559 | $28.69$59,876 | $29.76$62,109 |
| WL-6 | $27.32$57,017 | $28.41$59,292 | $29.56$61,692 | $30.69$64,050 | $31.81$66,387 |
| WL-7 | $28.60$59,688 | $29.79$62,172 | $31.01$64,718 | $32.19$67,181 | $33.38$69,664 |
| WL-8 | $29.97$62,547 | $31.19$65,094 | $32.44$67,702 | $33.72$70,374 | $34.95$72,941 |
| WL-9 | $31.23$65,177 | $32.48$67,786 | $33.79$70,520 | $35.16$73,379 | $36.44$76,050 |
| WL-10 | $32.15$67,097 | $33.56$70,040 | $34.87$72,774 | $36.20$75,549 | $37.60$78,471 |
| WL-11 | $33.20$69,288 | $34.57$72,148 | $35.95$75,028 | $37.40$78,054 | $38.75$80,871 |
| WL-12 | $34.15$71,271 | $35.58$74,255 | $36.99$77,198 | $38.38$80,099 | $39.85$83,167 |
| WL-13 | $35.13$73,316 | $36.60$76,384 | $38.06$79,431 | $39.57$82,583 | $40.99$85,546 |
| WL-14 | $36.03$75,195 | $37.59$78,450 | $39.07$81,539 | $40.64$84,816 | $42.11$87,884 |
| WL-15 | $37.08$77,386 | $38.64$80,642 | $40.13$83,751 | $41.72$87,070 | $43.27$90,304 |
WS: supervisory grades 1 to 19
| WS (supervisory) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WS-1 | $26.16$54,596 | $27.22$56,808 | $28.34$59,146 | $29.43$61,420 | $30.51$63,674 |
| WS-2 | $27.76$57,935 | $28.92$60,356 | $30.03$62,673 | $31.20$65,114 | $32.39$67,598 |
| WS-3 | $29.38$61,316 | $30.57$63,800 | $31.82$66,408 | $33.03$68,934 | $34.24$71,459 |
| WS-4 | $31.01$64,718 | $32.27$67,347 | $33.59$70,102 | $34.87$72,774 | $36.15$75,445 |
| WS-5 | $32.54$67,911 | $33.84$70,624 | $35.22$73,504 | $36.59$76,363 | $37.92$79,139 |
| WS-6 | $33.65$70,228 | $35.04$73,128 | $36.44$76,050 | $37.85$78,993 | $39.24$81,894 |
| WS-7 | $34.87$72,774 | $36.39$75,946 | $37.79$78,868 | $39.25$81,915 | $40.73$85,004 |
| WS-8 | $36.27$75,695 | $37.79$78,868 | $39.30$82,019 | $40.79$85,129 | $42.31$88,301 |
| WS-9 | $37.21$77,657 | $38.74$80,850 | $40.26$84,023 | $41.84$87,320 | $43.43$90,638 |
| WS-10 | $38.13$79,577 | $39.62$82,687 | $41.29$86,172 | $42.83$89,386 | $44.40$92,663 |
| WS-11 | $39.36$82,144 | $41.02$85,609 | $42.73$89,178 | $44.35$92,558 | $45.98$95,960 |
| WS-12 | $40.99$85,546 | $42.72$89,157 | $44.40$92,663 | $46.12$96,252 | $47.82$99,800 |
| WS-13 | $42.68$89,073 | $44.42$92,705 | $46.24$96,503 | $48.00$100,176 | $49.78$103,891 |
| WS-14 | $44.44$92,746 | $46.35$96,732 | $48.18$100,552 | $50.08$104,517 | $51.91$108,336 |
| WS-15 | $46.11$96,232 | $48.05$100,280 | $49.96$104,267 | $51.88$108,274 | $53.81$112,301 |
| WS-16 | $47.53$99,195 | $49.51$103,327 | $51.50$107,481 | $53.45$111,550 | $55.44$115,703 |
| WS-17 | $49.58$103,473 | $51.65$107,794 | $53.69$112,051 | $55.74$116,329 | $57.81$120,649 |
| WS-18 | $52.04$108,607 | $54.21$113,136 | $56.35$117,602 | $58.51$122,110 | $60.71$126,702 |
| WS-19 | $52.20$108,941 | $54.37$113,470 | $56.54$117,999 | $58.72$122,549 | $60.89$127,077 |
Counties covered by schedule 147
Adams County, WI; Columbia County, WI; Dane County, WI; Grant County, WI; Green County, WI; Green Lake County, WI; Iowa County, WI; Lafayette County, WI; Marquette County, WI; Rock County, WI; Sauk County, WI; Waushara County, WI
Other wage areas in Wisconsin
- Chicago-Naperville, IL WG-10 step 2 $35.15
- Duluth, MN WG-10 step 2 $34.33
- Minneapolis-St Paul, MN WG-10 step 2 $35.69
- Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI WG-10 step 2 $34.48
- Southwestern Wisconsin WG-10 step 2 $30.22
Madison, WI WG pay questions
What is the WG-10 rate in Madison, WI?
Under schedule 147 (Rest of United States), WG-10 is $29.25 at step 1, $30.44 at step 2 and $34.08 at step 5. At 2,087 hours a year, step 2 is about $63,528, an estimate.
When did the Madison, WI wage schedule take effect?
DCPAS issued schedule 147 on December 23, 2025 with an effective date of October 5, 2025. It replaced the schedule issued January 2, 2025. New schedules follow each local wage survey, so check DCPAS for a newer one.
Are these the rates paid in Madison, WI?
These are the regular schedule rates. DCPAS marks schedule 147 as impacted by OPM CPM 2022-02 (the $15 per hour minimum pay rate for federal employees) and points to special rate schedule M147 for the payable rates. The rates shown are the regular schedule. Find the special schedules on the DCPAS site under "Special".
Which counties does the Madison, WI wage area cover?
DCPAS lists 12 counties or areas for schedule 147; the full list is on this page. OPM's final rule on wage area criteria took effect on October 1, 2025, and DCPAS says it affects approximately 230 counties, so check the list if your county may have moved.
Sources (checked October 31, 2026): DCPAS Wage and Salary Division, appropriated fund wage schedules · 5 CFR 532.203, structure of regular wage schedules (eCFR) · 5 CFR 532.201, definitions (eCFR) · 5 CFR 532.211, criteria for appropriated fund wage areas (eCFR) · 5 CFR 532.417, within-grade increases (eCFR) · 5 U.S.C. 5343, prevailing rate determinations · 5 U.S.C. 5342, definitions · 5 U.S.C. 5504, biweekly pay periods; computation of pay · Federal Register, January 21, 2025 (90 FR 7428), final rule on wage area criteria · OPM, Facts About the Federal Wage System · OPM CPM 2025-20, Fiscal Year 2026 Prevailing Rate Pay Adjustments · OPM CPM 2026-05, Update to Fiscal Year 2026 Prevailing Rate Pay Adjustments · House Document 119-189, Alternative Plan for Pay Adjustments (January 2027)